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Should the Bar Council of India hold disciplinary power over law students? The Supreme Court says NO — but does this empower students or weaken accountability? The Supreme Court’s decision in Mihira Sood & Anr. v. Bar Council of India & Ors., W.P.(C) No. 1040/2026, establishes a clear statutory boundary between law students and enrolled advocates. The Court held that the Bar Council of India (BCI) and State Bar Councils do not have disciplinary jurisdiction over law students merely because they are studying law or intend to enter the legal profession. The ruling arose from the NALSAR University controversy, where BCI directions had sought to prevent the 2026 graduating batch from being enrolled as advocates and contemplated an inquiry into students and faculty involved in a campaign. The Supreme Court held that such disciplinary action could not be sustained without statutory authority. The judgment emphasises that BCI's regulatory authority over legal education is differen...

Economic Reality Check   📉 India’s GDP revised from ₹86 lakh crore to ₹80 lakh crore — a staggering shift! Is this just a statistical correction or a deeper reflection of our economy’s health? The article examines the controversy surrounding India’s reported 7.8% real GDP growth in Q1 FY 2026–27 and the competing 2.6% figure that emerged after comparing the latest GDP figure of ₹88.27 lakh crore with the earlier ₹86.05 lakh crore estimate. The article explains that the 2.6% calculation is mathematically correct, but it does not represent India’s official real GDP growth rate because it compares figures from two different GDP series. The earlier ₹86.05 lakh crore figure belonged to the 2011–12 base-year series, while the later figures were produced under the new 2022–23 base-year series. GDP comparisons should be made using comparable figures from the same statistical series. A major focus is the revision of Q1 FY 2025–26 current-price GDP from approximately ₹86.05 lakh crore ...

  The article examines India’s economic inequality through the lens of the World Inequality Report 2026. While India has achieved significant economic growth, infrastructure development and a growing digital economy, the article argues that GDP growth alone does not show how the benefits of that growth are distributed.  According to the report estimates cited in the article, India’s income and wealth are highly concentrated. The top 10% receives about 57.7% of national income and owns around 65% of total wealth, while the bottom 50% receives about 15% of income and owns only around 6.4% of wealth. The top 1% is estimated to own approximately 40.1% of India’s wealth and receive 22.6% of national income.  The article distinguishes income inequality from wealth inequality, explaining that income refers to what people earn, whereas wealth represents accumulated assets such as property, investments and businesses. It also notes that the income-share gap between the top 10% and...

Justice or Perception? The SC/ST Act, 1989, continues to evolve with the latest Supreme Court judgments. Do these rulings strengthen justice or highlight systemic gaps? The article provides a comprehensive overview of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and its evolving legal position up to 2026, focusing particularly on recent Supreme Court judgments. It explains that the Act remains a strong protective law against caste-based atrocities, but its stringent provisions must be applied according to the precise statutory ingredients of each offense. A central theme is the Supreme Court's clarification that not every dispute, insult, or allegation involving a person belonging to an SC/ST community automatically constitutes an offense under the Act. For offenses under Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s), issues such as caste-based intent and the requirement that the incident occur “within public view” can be decisive. The article traces this principle through decisions including Hi...